| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Joseph A. Adriance | Analyst |
| Mr. Fred N. Eichorn | Chairperson | ||
| Mr. John P. Infante | Member | ||
| Ms. Karen A. Heinz | Member |
THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:
1. The applicant requests, in effect, that his combat service in Korea and the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) be added to his separation document
(DD Form 214).
2. The applicant states, in effect, that he served in combat in the Korean War which entitles him to the CIB. He further indicates that these facts were erroneously left off his final DD Form 214.
3. The applicant provides no documents or evidence in support of his application.
CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:
1. The applicant is requesting correction of an error or injustice which occurred on 1 March 1954. The application submitted in this case is dated 12 March 2003.
2. Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. This provision of law allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse failure to file within the 3-year statute of limitation if the ABCMR determines that it would be in the interest of justice to do so. In this case, the ABCMR will conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.
5. Although specific records concerning his combat service in Korea are no longer on file, an Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) case report published in 1981, confirms that the applicant’s UD was upgraded by the ADRB based on his honorable combat service. This document confirms that the applicant served overseas from May 1951 through July 1952. His overseas service from May 1951 through August 1951 was served in Hawaii and the period September 1951 through July 1952 was served in Korea. The ADRB case report also verifies that he served in Korea and saw combat. The ADRB members also found that based on his qualifying combat service in an infantry specialty, the applicant should have received the CIB.
6. On 1 July 1981, the ADRB voted to upgrade the applicant’s discharge to honorable based on his record of combat service. As a result, a new DD Form 214 was published. This document shows that the applicant was honorably discharged, under the provisions of Army Regulation 615-368, by reason misconduct, frequent incidents of a discreditable nature with civil or military authorities. It also indicates that he had completed a total of 2 years, 5 months, and 25 days of creditable active military service, 1 year, 3 months, and 4 days of overseas service, and that he had accrued 140 days of time lost.
7. The DD Form 214 contains the entry “None” in Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) and Item
18 (Remarks) contains no entry showing the time the applicant served in Korea.
8. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards. Paragraph 2-10 contains guidance on award of the National Defense Service Medal. It states, in pertinent part,
that it was awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, both dates inclusive.
9. Paragraph 5-8 of the awards regulation contains guidance on award of the Korean Service Medal. It states, in pertinent part, that it is awarded for service in Korea between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954.
10. Paragraph 8-6 of the same regulation contains the criteria for awarding the CIB. It states, in pertinent part, that there are basically three requirements for award of the CIB; the soldier must hold an infantry MOS and be satisfactorily performing infantry duties; must be assigned to an infantry unit of brigade or smaller size during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat; and must actively participate in such ground combat.
11. Paragraph 9-12 contains guidance on award of United Nations Service Medal. It states, in pertinent part, that this award is authorized for members who served in Korea during the period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, and that members who were awarded the Korean Service Medal automatically establish eligibility for the United Nations Service Medal.
12. As a matter of information, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, the Government of the Republic of Korea issued the Korean War Service Medal to pay tribute to eligible Korean War veterans for their historic endeavors to preserve the freedom of the Republic of Korea and the free world. On 20 August 1999, the Department of Defense approved acceptance and wear of this foreign service award to eligible US veterans of the Korean War, or their surviving next of kin. The medal is provided at no cost to veterans. The Department of Defense assigned responsibility to the Department of the
Air Force for distribution of the Korean War Service Medal to eligible veterans or their surviving next of kin.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant’s contention that his DD Form 214 should be corrected to document his service in Korea and to show he earned the CIB was carefully considered and it was determined to have merit.
2. Although the applicant’s file does not contain an official personnel qualification record showing the specific dates of his service in Korea, the information recorded in the 1981 ADRB case summary confirms he served in Korea for
11 months, from September 1951 through July 1952. It also verifies that based on his combat service in Korea in a qualifying infantry specialty and unit, he should have received the CIB. It appears the supporting personnel records were available to the ADRB during its 1981 review and as a result, information documented in the case report is accepted as valid, in the interest of equity and fairness to the applicant.
3. Based on the available evidence, the applicant’s service in Korea also entitles him to the Korean Service Medal and United Nations Service Medal. In addition, based on his active duty service during a qualifying period, he is also entitled to the National Defense Service Medal.
4. The applicant is advised that to apply for the Korean War Service Medal, he should submit a copy of his DD Form 214 to the Awards and Decorations Section, Headquarters, Air Force Personnel Center, 550 C Street West, Suite 12, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150-4714. A sample request form is provided. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to this Board to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214.
BOARD VOTE:
FE___ __KH___ ___JPI ____ GRANT RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
| CASE ID | AR2003090018 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | 2004/02/05 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | HD |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | 1954/03/01 |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR 615-368 |
| DISCHARGE REASON | Misconduct |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT PLUS |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. 1021 | 100.0000 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080017956
The applicant requests his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) reflect he was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received during the Korean War. There is no record of his honorable service (i.e., DD Form 214) from 1947 to 30 September 1951. The applicants records should contain two DD Forms 214, the first one for the period 11 December 1947 through 30 September 1951, and the second one for the period 1 October 1951 through 23 January 1954.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110018455
The DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) he was issued at the time shows he earned the following awards during his active duty tenure: * Korean Service Medal (KSM) with 1 bronze service star * PH * United Nations Service Medal 5. The evidence of record confirms the applicant held and served in an infantry specialty in a qualifying infantry unit while serving in Korea. The evidence also confirms that based on his service and campaign participation in...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002067351C070402
The applicant states, in effect, that he was a young, 17-year old when he enlisted; that he served well in combat during the Korean War and received a head wound; that, upon reassignment from Korea to Japan, his personality changed and he started exhibiting bizarre behavior; and that, when he finally returned to the United States at 2 1/2 years of service and was given his first home leave, he went AWOL (absent without leave) for 5 or 6 months. Once the Department of the Air Force has...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2012 | 20120006668
He also states he was awarded the: * Army Good Conduct Medal * National Defense Service Medal * Korean Service Medal * Korea Defense Service Medal * Korean War Commemorative Medal * Combat Infantryman Badge 4. The available evidence does not show he completed a qualifying period of service in Korea on or after 28 July 1954 for award of the Korea Defense Service Medal. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a....
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080009863
The applicant requests, in effect, that his record and separation document (DD Form 214) be corrected to reflect unit awards to which he is entitled based on his service in Korea. Other than members separated by reason of disability, there are no provisions for awarding the AGCM for a period of active duty service of less than 1 year. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by awarding him the Army Good Conduct...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002068829C070402
His WD AGO Form 53-55, item 6 shows his organization as Company H (which the Center for Military History has stated was in the 2d Battalion), 143d Infantry Regiment; item 31 shows that he was awarded the CIB and the Expert Rifle Badge; item 33 shows that he was awarded the BSM (General Orders 348 is listed as the authority but the BSM is not identified as being with “V” device), the World War II Victory Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, and the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003091814C070212
Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214. The evidence of record shows that he served as a painter in MOS 4121 with the 560 th Quartermaster Company for a portion of his service while serving in Korea. Evidence shows that the applicant’s records contain administrative error which does not require action by the Board.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003083500C070212
The applicant states that his record does not show that he was wounded in action or awarded the PH. This document shows the unit to which the applicant was assigned was cited for award of the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for the period 16 - 22 May 1951 by Department of the Army General Order Number 72, dated 1951. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110018068
The applicant requests correction of the DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) of his father, a former service member (FSM), to show award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), National Defense Service Medal, and United Nations Service Medal. The FSM's service dates in Korea are not known; however, he was issued a DD Form 214 that credited him with completing 8 months and 13 days of foreign service and showing he was assigned to Company L, 34th...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060011574
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 6 March 2007 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20060011574 I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual. The Board considered the following evidence: Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records. The applicants military records are not available to the Board for review.